Iraq’s election commission disqualifies 581 candidates ahead of November poll

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission has disqualified 581 candidates from November’s parliamentary elections after vetting their legal, security, and procedural status, officials said.

Imad Jamil, head of the commission’s media team, said the review relied on information from multiple state institutions. “The number that reached the commission from the Accountability and Justice Authority was 253, and the commission issued decisions to exclude them in accordance with Article 7, Section Five,” he told UTV.

He said another 104 candidates were disqualified after the Ministry of Interior flagged criminal records. Four more were excluded for submitting forged academic certificates.

A list from the Supreme Judicial Council recommended the exclusion of about 15 candidates, and 10 were removed from minority quota seats. In total, 581 were barred, Jamil said, noting they have three days to appeal either through provincial electoral offices or the commission’s national headquarters.

The electoral body said it also acted on reports from other state institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, the Peshmerga, intelligence and security agencies, and the Integrity Commission.

“We cannot contravene the decisions of the Accountability and Justice Authority, and we are fully committed to implementing all exclusion-related rulings,” Jamil said.

The commission stressed it would monitor the campaign period for misuse of public resources. Officials said complaints of violations had already resulted in financial penalties, candidate disqualifications, and referrals to the judiciary.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani previously instructed ministries not to exploit state resources during the election campaign. The commission said its enforcement is aimed at protecting the integrity of the vote.